Oregon RB Thomas A Question Mark vs. Washington

Running back De'Anthony Thomas (ankle) probably won't be 100 percent even if he does recover enough to play against Washington, but Oregon feels its other options are good enough to handle the absence of its star. Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images.

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Dynamic Oregon star De'Anthony Thomas (ankle) no longer is wearing a walking boot on his right foot and has resumed jogging, but he's yet to return to practice.

Thomas sprained his ankle against Cal on Sept. 28 and is a question mark at best for Saturday's game against Washington.

"It's still early in the week, and I'm just trying to work hard and get back to normal," Thomas told reporters. "I'm walking around pretty good, just staying focused on getting better and just recovering. It's nice to walk around with two shoes on. That's a great feeling. I'm just trying to get better from there."

Thomas has 485 all-purpose yards in three games, but at 5-foot-9, 176 pounds, has been the Ducks' most effective runner between the tackles. Thomas also has six touchdowns in three games and has averaged 8.6 yards per carry during his college career.

Brandon Marshall (448 rushing yards) and Thomas Tyner (five TDs) also have produced for Oregon's third-ranked rushing offense, but neither is as proven or dynamic as Thomas. Quarterback Marcus Mariota (12.1 yards per carry, seven TDs) also is a threat to run.

Oregon (5-0, 2-0) has scored at least 55 points in every game this season and hasn't allowed more than 16, but hasn't faced a team ranked higher than 47th in the Sagarin ratings (Tennessee). Washington (4-1, 1-1) lost by a field goal at Stanford last week and have the 45th-best rush defense in the NCAA.